Quality of Life Comparison

If you lived in Belize instead of United States, you would:

be 33.4% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese. In Belize, that number is 24.1% of people.

live 11.1 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women). In Belize, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women).

Economy

make 86.1% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,500, while in Belize, the GDP per capita is $8,300.

be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed. In Belize, that number is 10.1%.

be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line. In Belize, however, that number is 41.0%.

Life

have 92.0% more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people. In Belize, there are 24.0 babies per 1,000 people.

be 100.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 14.0 women per 1,000 births die during labor. In Belize, 28.0 women do.

be 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.8 children die before they reach the age of one. In Belize, on the other hand, 18.9 children do.

Basic Needs

be 41.5% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 76.2% of the population has internet access. In Belize, about 44.6% do.

Expenditures

spend 66.1% less on healthcare

United States spends 17.1% of its total GDP on healthcare. In Belize, that number is 5.8% of GDP.

spend 48.0% more on education

United States spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education. Belize spends 7.4% of total GDP on education.

Geography

see 98.1% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Belize, that number is 386 km.

Belize: At a glance

Belize is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 22,806 sq km. Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.

How big is Belize compared to United States?
See an in-depth size comparison.